[Salmo]

I have done a bit of a trial this year to compare planting out onions in modules, and letting them push each other apart, with planting conventionally spaced along the row.

The aim was to grow small onions for the kitchen as opposed to monsters.

Onions of 3 varieties were planted at 6 seeds per module in early February. They were planted out in the first week of May. Long red Florence, Kamel, Sturon.

In three of the 3 metre rows the modules were planted at 25cm spacings along the rows.

In the fourth row seedlings  of Sturon were seperated and planted individually at 12.5cm spacings.

The results are very interesting. (Excuse the wobbly table but I cannot get the columns straight)

Onion variety     Long Red       Kamel      Sturon      Sturon
                     Florence
                  
Planting method   modules X 12   modules X 12   modules X 12   individually X 24

Spacing                        25cm                        25cm            25cm             12.5cm

Number harvested          56             60              63                23

Total weight gm         3465            3253             4852              2868

Av wt per onion  gm            62               54                77                125

Largest onion gm           109              107               117                215

[Yorkie]

A marked difference between the modules and single versions, isn't there?

Of the module versions, was there much actual difference between the sturon, which came out biggest overall, and the kamel (smallest)?

[Salmo]

The sturon modules looked much bolder when they were growing. That may be variety rather than how they are grown.

I was tempted to put the individuals at half that spacing to give a plant density similar to modules, but who would normally plant them at 6.25cm? Perhaps that is something else to learn from this.

[solway cropper]

I've planted sets at 6-8cm spacing each way specifically in order to get small onions and it works fine. They come out about golf ball to billiard ball size which is perfect for some uses.

I also grow 'normal' onions and find it really useful to have a range of sizes.

[shoozie]

I was tempted to put the individuals at half that spacing to give a plant density similar to modules, but who would normally plant them at 6.25cm? Perhaps that is something else to learn from this.

I grow more than a few onions in pots, closely spaced .....

15 will fit in a standard builders bucket about an inch or two apart, pick through the season and leave some to grow on ...



This year I planted the overwinter onions (sets) this way and was pleased most survived rather than giving them ground space.

Below, Bedfordshire seed sown in clumps and potted into 7/8 inch pots with recycled compost wherever I had some space, they grew to about pingpong ball size  ...



One of my two 1.2 mt sq onion beds this year, not quite as closely spaced .... Kelsae (not huge for sure, but I'm pleased nevertheless)



This is only my second year trying them from seeds, so have a lot to learn there  .  Best of luck with your experiments Salmo